PUBLISHED : 22 Aug 2023 at 14:19
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Tuesday upheld its previous acquittal of former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban and five other defendants on charges of corruption in construction of 396 police stations and living quarters ten years ago.
The other five defendants charged by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) with similar offences and also acquitted by the court are – former acting national police chief Pol Gen Pateep Tanprasert, Pol Maj Gen Satja Kochahiran, Pol Lt Col Suriya Jangsuwan, PCC Development & Construction Company, and Wisanu Wisetsing, the company’s managing director.
The projects were approved during the administration of then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, when Mr Suthep was a deputy prime minister.
The NACC filed the case with the court, alleging malfeasance and price collusion in government projects from June 2009 to April 2013.
On Sept 20, 2022, the court found Mr Suthep and the five other defendants not guilty and acquitted them of the charges.
The NACC appealed against the decision.
The court on Tuesday, upheld its previous judgement to acquit the six defendants.
In this case, one of the projects related to the construction of 396 police stations, costing 5.84 million baht, endorsed by the cabinet.
Many of the police stations were left unfinished when the contractor, managing a number of construction sites at the same time, dumped the project.
The NACC also found grounds for allegations relating to the building of 163 blocks of police flats, which had been proposed along with the police station project.
Mr Suthep and Pol Gen Pateep were accused of wrongfully combining all the regional construction contracts into one. The contract was then awarded at an unusually low price to a single contractor, PCC Development & Construction Co.
Pol Maj Gen Satcha and Pol Lt Col Suriya, who were on the bidding committee, were accused of failing to verify the quote.
Mr Wisanu, the managing director of PCC Development & Construction Co, was accused of tendering a quote that was too low and the company of failing to finish the work.
The court found the Royal Thai Police had the authority to decide how it would award the construction contract and Mr Suthep could not be held responsible for any malfeasance.
The court also found that Pol Gen Pateep handled the project in compliance with regulations, and there was no evidence that Pol Maj Gen Satja and Pol Lt Col Suriya had any vested interest.
The company and its managing director were thus considered innocent, and the low quotation was the company’s own decision and did not cause any damage to the state.